'Kernel memory leaking' Intel processor design flaw forces Linux, Windows redesign

Discussion in 'other security issues & news' started by Minimalist, Jan 2, 2018.

  1. JRViejo

    JRViejo Super Moderator

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    I don't see mine either: AMD Phenom II X4 945 Code name Deneb. :cool:

    And my laptop is not there either! :thumb: 2.20 GHz AMD Turion II Dual-Core Mobile Processor M500
     
    Last edited: Jan 12, 2018
  2. itman

    itman Registered Member

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    Appears author is going backwards in time on his updates. Phenom II processors were marketed circa 2010. We'll have to keep checking for updates I guess.
     
    Last edited: Jan 12, 2018
  3. Minimalist

    Minimalist Registered Member

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  4. itman

    itman Registered Member

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  5. JRViejo

    JRViejo Super Moderator

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    For sure! :isay:
     
  6. askmark

    askmark Registered Member

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    A phone isn't the only mobile device. Laptops are mobile too! Intel produce versions of their chips specifically for laptops. Hence the M suffix.
     
  7. Reality

    Reality Registered Member

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    Did someone say somewhere intel has cornered 90% of the market? - not buying it that this is an accidental flaw, much less they can't get a workable fix out the gate.

    Thanks for that link Sampei, I'd love to share your enthusiasm for my Core2duo, but I'm not going to even smile just yet.
     
  8. hawki

    hawki Registered Member

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    "Gigabyte, Asus, and MSI prep updates against Meltdown and Spectre...

    All three companies have lists available of motherboards that have or will soon be receiving security-related BIOS updates. Glancing over them, it looks like the big three of motherboards will be issuing updates for motherboards based on Intel's LGA 1151, LGA 2011v3, and LGA 2066 sockets. That means motherboards using 100-series, 200-series, 300-series, X299, and X99 chipsets..."

    https://techreport.com/news/33116/gigabyte-asus-and-msi-prep-updates-against-meltdown-and-spectre
     
  9. WildByDesign

    WildByDesign Registered Member

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    Oh boy... hundreds upon hundreds of "WHEA-Logger Processor Core / Corrected Machine Check / Internal Parity Error " Event ID 19 in Event Log since Spectre/Meltdown microcode update plus Windows patches. A quick search on Twitter found many users with the same problem.
    Link: https://forums.lenovo.com/t5/ThinkP...?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter#M71811

    Anyone else seeing these? Likely what is killing performance.
     
  10. itman

    itman Registered Member

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    Based on a prior Microsoft response to the issue, you might just end up with a fried motherboard due to the BIOS patch.:eek:
    https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us...r/897a3ec3-c92f-4b4e-980e-824ade948cf8?auth=1
     
    Last edited: Jan 12, 2018
  11. WildByDesign

    WildByDesign Registered Member

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    Yikes. This explains the terrible performance decline as well. These event errors are occurring exactly 2x per minute exactly. More often than I had initially realized. I may look into reverting to the prior Dell BIOS update if possible.
     
  12. FanJ

    FanJ Updates Team

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    Thanks Minimalist!
    With respect to that article, I'm afraid that I don't know how to add an item "PowerShell Configuration" (as the author called it) in the Group Policy Editor. He doesn't describe it there.
    I was able, last year (or was it earlier?) to follow guidelines from Martin at gHacks with respect to Group Policy Editor, but not this.
     
  13. FanJ

    FanJ Updates Team

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  14. WildByDesign

    WildByDesign Registered Member

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    I successfully reverted to the previous BIOS, and therefore got rid of shoddy Intel microcode, and the difference in performance on my Core i7 is reminiscent of going from HDD to SSD for the first time. I may very well be more vulnerable to Spectre/Meltdown now but the performance degradation combined with continuous hardware event errors was not worth it.

    Realistically, I believe that the chipmakers and operating system vendors likely needed another full six months to vet out these patches and issues before that embargo curtain came off. Although as I understand it, it was a leak which forced that embargo to be lifted early.

    (Additional) Class action lawsuits in 3 - 2 - 1...
     
  15. WildByDesign

    WildByDesign Registered Member

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    For anyone experiencing the "WHEA-Logger Processor Core / Corrected Machine Check / Internal Parity Error " Event ID 19 in event log after microcode update plus poor system performance, I have some more details.

    Initially, I reverted to previous BIOS and problem was solved. However, that meant no Spectre/Meltdown hardware mitigation.

    Anyway, I wanted to figure out how I could use the latest BIOS since there are more beneficial fixes in my BIOS update but also avoid the event id hardware errors and massive performance hit.

    I updated to the latest BIOS and used the special Windows Server registry key (FeatureSettingsOverride) to disable specifically only the microcode utilization. This confirms working on home systems too and not just server OS.

    Link: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us...-to-protect-against-the-speculative-execution

    Therefore I have the latest BIOS, full Core i7 performance, zero "WHEA-Logger" hardware error events in event viewer and I still have some (but not all) mitigations.

    This proves that there is an issue between the Intel microcode and the Windows patches for certain hardware combinations. So far this is mostly indicated on Dell and Lenovo machines but it is still early for many users/organizations with regard to updating BIOS as hardware companies are still playing catchup with their motherboards.

    Hope this may help some users.
     
  16. Minimalist

    Minimalist Registered Member

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    I doubt that you can add it. I guess you have similar "problem" as I.
     
  17. anon

    anon Registered Member

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    Off topic:
    PowerShell vs. PowerShell Core, what you need to know
    https://www.ghacks.net/2018/01/12/powershell-vs-powershell-core-what-you-need-to-know/
     
  18. B-boy/StyLe/

    B-boy/StyLe/ Registered Member

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    I didn't have time to fully test the system but these are the results before the MS patch and before the BIOS update:

    https://www.3dmark.com/pcm8/24477610

    The results after the MS patch and before the BIOS update:

    https://www.3dmark.com/pcm8/24484079

    and the results after the MS patch and the BIOS update:

    https://www.3dmark.com/pcm8/24588944

    I am using Windows 8.1 x64 and probably this is why I am seeing such huge performance impact.


    At least I am not having any issues after the patch and the BIOS update and didn't notice any WHEA-Logger Event 19 errors in the Event Viewer. If such errors occur then I will downgrade the BIOS (and that probably will downgrade the microcode to rev. 70 or I will ask someone to integrate it into the bios for me using UBU) or I will keep the BIOS current but will disable the microcode utilization via the registry (thanks to WildByDesing for testing and sharing this).

    https://i.imgur.com/ZTcs3dZ.png

    So far, so good!

    Regards,
    Georgi
     
    Last edited: Jan 13, 2018
  19. paulderdash

    paulderdash Registered Member

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    Under a bushel ...
  20. paulderdash

    paulderdash Registered Member

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    Thanks WBD! Indeed I have loads of WHEA-Logger Event 19 Warnings on my ThinkPad ...

    To be clear (I am not an expert), should I add the following registry keys using regedit (or is there another better way), to achieve the above?

    I am not sure how to add the keys. Can anyone help with the right way of doing this - command prompt? I will take an image first, of course :).


    To disable this fix


    reg add "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management" /v FeatureSettingsOverride /t REG_DWORD /d 3 /f


    reg add "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management" /v FeatureSettingsOverrideMask /t REG_DWORD /d 3 /f

    Or is it best for me not to fiddle, and wait for a fix?

    Edited.
     
    Last edited: Jan 13, 2018
  21. plat1098

    plat1098 Guest

    I also had a slew of WHEA Logger corrected warnings yesterday but hadn't applied any of that microcode. I hadn't installed the latest chipsets from Lenovo, though. That stopped them. This is getting to be a house of cards, everything has to be updated.
     
  22. Peter2150

    Peter2150 Global Moderator

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    I for myself are waiting to do any updating. For this to be a threat something has to run on your system, so my approach is making sure that doesn't happen. Fortunately I only have a couple of computers to deal with and no wild card people. Only thing I did do was bring Firefox and SBIE upto the latest versions, and have actively added No Script
     
  23. WildByDesign

    WildByDesign Registered Member

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    @paulderdash I opened up an Admin command prompt and pasted the two entries there one at a time, pressing enter after each. You would need to restart Windows after you've entered both. After restart, you can use Alex Ionescu's SpecuCheck it will confirm that microcode is available, but disabled by policy.
     
  24. guest

    guest Guest

    A BIOS update and the windows patch is on my TODO-list, but i am also waiting.
    I don't want to introduce issues on my currently good running system.
    Chrome is running with enabled site isolation and uMatrix is blocking 3rd-party scripts (even 1st-party is not allowed by default)/frames by default ("default-deny").
     
  25. Mr.X

    Mr.X Registered Member

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    Mine are in a "DISCARD" list :D
    My mobo is from a dead company dead website, PCCHIPS, and most likely won't get any update.
    The other one is a crappy Chinese laptop with no website at all :argh:
     
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